The Shadow of Death: Book 1
The Sacred Laws have been weakened. A great darkness looms on the horizon, and war between the champions of light and shadow is inevitable. Seya and Evil form an unholy alliance and seek out their champions, while Luca speaks with Karma. ---- Currently being edited at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18BwMBrVOP8aP1VY1F6OFUEKkVXBa1l3c30m5oarSt_s/edit Completed chapters will be posted below after proofreading and editing. All editors feel free to continue making edits to chapters already posted. ---- __TOC__ Prologue In the most remote region of the multiverse, the very edge of what was known as Nether Space, a lone figure dressed in purple stood staring into the infinite horror that was The Nothing- a writhing mass of darkness where ancient behemoths danced to silent tunes and the cosmos as most knew it ceased to be. The figure observed in silence as the dark beasts of The Nothing continued to move, noticing something different from the many other times he had come to look over this unnatural scene. "The Nothing grows restless, brother," a voice spoke out. "The Great Destroyer is beginning to awaken... for so long we have fought to keep the Sacred Laws strong yet this day was inevitable... the current Multiverse is corrupt, and I fear it may already be too late." A woman with the head of a wolf manifested nearby, dressed in the manner of a Greek deity. "You have lost hope so soon?" asked the purple-clad figure. "So disappointing, yet I do not blame you- The Omega is indeed close to wakening... all it would take now is one concentrated effort to break the few Hidden Truths of this Multiverse and the Alpha's illusion will finally shatter." "No, I will never lose hope," said the wolf-headed woman. "You are still my brother, Oblivion. You are loyal to The Omega yet I know you are not prepared to end your own existence so quickly... you are the Lord of Destruction, yet even you would be washed away before the might of the Wrath of God." "The Omega is the one truth in an otherwise cruel dream, Creation," said Oblivion. "My existence here is as fixed as your own... when The Omega comes it shall show the futility of Alpha's laws and remind this Multiverse that only Divine Sacrifice can truly prevail." "The Divine Sacrifice is always too great," said Creation, in a warning tone. "The laws were created to prevent the countless deaths that wrath demands. You claim to be as fixed as I am; then you must know that we could both be washed away as easily as twigs in a flood should The Omega decide we are the necessary sacrifices." "Don't preach the power of The Omega to me, sister," declared Oblivion. "I am the Lord of Destruction. I reject the weak and senseless laws of the Alpha and see the truth in the Divine Sacrifice. If it seeks us out, then so be it." "Very well, brother. You once again throw away reason in favor of blind hate- I didn't lie when I said my hope was not lost. I shall find a way to strengthen the Sacred Laws again, and with the aid of all who see value in life I shall reject your evil." Creation faded into space, and was gone. “That was uncalled for,” said a dark voice. "To call one such as you evil." Oblivion turned to face a gargantuan figure akin to a winged, female satyr. "What do you want here, Mother of All Suffering?" he asked, stiffly. "I'm simply an old grandmother listening to her grandchildren bicker... you should know that by now," said the figure with a sneer. "...and please, call me Evil." "Don't waste my time!" snapped Oblivion. "Answer the question!" Evil grinned. "That temper of yours will be your downfall, mark my words... though for now I bring you good news: I have a special friend who seeks to awaken The Omega, and you seem just as eager, so let's get the party rolling, shall we?" Oblivion frowned. "What makes you so certain I would side with you, and who is this 'friend' you speak of?" “Hm… I think I’ll answer that in reverse. The one I speak of is Seya, and I shall take you to him soon… as for why you would side with me… am I not the Mother of All Suffering?” Oblivion scoffed. “You have no power over me, Old One.” “Oh... you fail to understand,” said Evil, opening a dark portal akin to an iron door. Within the portal Oblivion saw a terrible sight: a hellish realm of suffering filled with souls trapped in a nightmarish fusion, twisting and writhing as if forming impossible walls. Attached to this endless prison of souls was a nearly lifeless figure in red, her immortal form no match for the power of that realm. The souls around her grasped onto her robes and held her in place. “I am the Mother, she is the daughter... did your omniscient brain not see? Misery was born from me... and what I create, I can destroy...” Oblivion suddenly grew angry and rose. The area shook as if space itself was cracking under a great weight. “YOU DARE-” “Now, now... I warned you about that temper,” interrupted Evil with a lazy flick of her wrist. The souls began to twist and turn, causing yet more of them to gather around Misery and grasp at her form. The embodiment of suffering was unable to fight against the power of Damnation and she began to sink into the squirming walls. “ENOUGH!” roared Oblivion, extending his scythe as his eyes glowed brightly with the fury of a blazing star. “Strike me and she is lost to the Depths of Depravity... I can survive, as can you... they will always find a new Misery... will you still find that one as favorable a consort? Come now, Oblivion, you claimed to be so eager to awaken the Omega, to accept any Divine Sacrifice... why throw it all away now? Has the Lord of Destruction lost his nerve?” Oblivion seemed ready to strike regardless, then looked to his consort. His fury subsided. He lowered his scythe and bowed his head. “...release her and I shall do as you ask." Evil smirked, formed a red trident, and unleashed a small leash of green energy that tore into the Depths of Depravity and fastened onto Misery, pulling her out of the portal as it closed behind her. The trident dispersed as Evil relaxed. Weakened and ashamed, Misery drifted to Oblivion's side. “See? You Absolutes are most fascinating creatures," said Evil. "The power of gods, yet your own loyalty is your downfall. No matter, I know you’ll serve me now. Your word is Law." Oblivion kept his head low as Misery looked over, and whispered: “forgive me... I could not tell you... any of you...” Oblivion’s gaze remained averted from her. “Why?” he asked. Misery paused, bowing her own head as she stared down. She took joy in the suffering of many, yet for the first time she felt suffering that gave her no joy- the suffering of the one being she never wished to harm- in the end, all she could do was speak the truth: “You’d have struck me down, had you known...” Oblivion kept silent as Evil formed a large, fiery portal and declared with unusual mirth: “Come, my little ones... we have a multiverse to shatter.” Chapter 1: Gathering of Shadows In a pocket dimension, void of anything but a throne adorned with diamonds, were a pair of cloaked figures. The larger, wreathed in black, sat upon the throne, drumming skeletal fingers on the armrest. Beneath his hood was black emptiness. The smaller, pale-blue one floated before the larger, and spoke: “Forgive me, Seya. She was too powerful... she beat me, this Karma girl,” he said. “While I kicked her friends cans many times, she was different-” “I did not ask to hear of failures, Illusion," said Seya. "Karma-Girl, however, is certainly interesting… She reminds me of a girl named Karma. Which reminds me, I want to hear of the annihilation of Karma, not Karma-Girl!” “Another thing," continued Illusion, weakly. "Uh… Anu-Oie failed holding them prisoner and they sorta escaped, resulting in Bad Luck’s demise…” “Oh! Wonderful!! Just grand!” Seya clapped like a child. “Yay! She escaped so I can set up her birthday party. Let’s see, there will be balloons, cake, rocks, The Omega, and confetti… Ooh, and get a dead body while we’re at it.” Illusion rolled his eyes, a little bit irritated. He had long ago learned to ignore his master's more sporadic outbursts. “I originally planned on this all going so smoothly, but it’s sad I have to put myself into the equation. I won’t take this sitting down!” Seya stood up to illustrate his point. “What do we do then?” Illusion questioned, “Have we run out of ideas?” “No. Not yet. You see, many are unaware of my presence, and thus we shall take the advantage! One last idea that is sure fire!” Seya outstretched his arms, pausing for dramatic effect. For a silent moment, Illusion stared at Seya, incredulous, before asking, “What is it?” “The idea? Oh! Yes! Karma’s birthday party!” Seya pulled out a piece of paper and shoved it in Illusion’s face, revealing a black scribble with crudely drawn balloons, confetti, and cake. The black scribble wore a party hat. “You see, that is the Omega, and it wears a party hat as it eats Karma for her birthday!” “And the Omega is…?” “The Great Shadow, The Ender of All. Existence Eraser. The pencil to the lead. The big-” "Okay, fine, I get it," said Illusion, though his master continued to blather. Illusion sighed, tuning out Seya. It baffled him how Seya could devise complicated schemes when he couldn't even function normally in the presence of others. “-sion. Illusion! Wake up!" exclaimed Seya. "The next door neighbors are going to hear your thoughts. We must begin right away! Karma’s birthday must be perfect and I shall make sure-” he paused momentarily, sensing another presence almost immediately. “Do you taste it…?” Illusion said nothing. A dark portal spread open akin to a great and terrible door made of iron, from which stepped Evil, her wings folded around herself like a cape. On her right Oblivion emerged, and to her left Misery also manifested. Neither Absolute said anything as they held their heads low. “Great Seya, Master Illusion," said Evil, "I am so very honored to be invited to this most prestigious event... please excuse the presence of Oblivion and Misery, I’m a sentimental old woman, and family can be most... useful." She unfolded her wings and gave a small curtsy. A red trident formed in her withered hand as she stood back up and gave a bestial smile. Seya stood there, staring at Evil and the two Absolutes for a few moments. Then he shouted, “Oh my gosh, Illusion! Look! They- they came from- from a- a thing!” Seya threw out an arm and seemed to scoop Illusion out of thin air, even with the distance between them. “Isn’t this amazing?! To what do I owe the honor of guests in my quaint home?” Seya bowed; whether in courtesy or mockery, it was unclear. “We are here to aid in your little... game, Great Seya," said Evil. "Oblivion happens to be the champion of the Omega... although his mind may be clouded at times he knows he can not escape that role... no more than my dear Misery can escape her own role.” “..you see now why I hid what I was from you?” Misery whispered, looking to Oblivion pensively. “Perhaps," said Oblivion, staring out at the gathered figures in the room. "Yet you were wrong, Misery. For all you were and all you did... I would still have stood by your side, as I do now... and forever,” “My little game?" asked Seya. "Well, yes, I haven’t finished that Chess match with that one guy… I was going to-” he looked off to the side, wondering aloud, “Where is he…?” He turned back towards Evil again. “Well, hi! Welcome to my quaint little home, I’m Seya and this is my best buddy Illusion! Friends forever!” Rainbows and sunbeams burst from behind Seya before fading. "How nice..." said Evil, mildly disgruntled. Her form melted away, from which clawed out a winged beast akin to the Biblical Serpent. Her scales were black as night and her eyes glowed like the fires of Hell itself. Her outstretched wings formed from gnarled bone, to which clung scraps of rotting flesh, and a stinking aura surrounded her. "Why do you want us here?" Oblivion finally asked, addressing Evil. "Seya seeks to awaken The Omega- to do so he requires a little... help. The Sacred Laws have been weakened but to fully destroy them will take a concentrated effort- we have to use the Hidden Truths, yet beings like us are unable to do so. We require... assistance... from those below us." Though speaking to Oblivion, Evil kept her torrid gaze upon Seya. “Illusion!" exclaimed Seya, "Did you hear that? They speak of the Great Destroyer! The Eraser to the Lead, the-” Illusion cut Seya off, “Yes, yes. I know." He turned towards Evil. "You’ll have to excuse him, he hasn’t been right in the-” “I’m sorry," said Seya, his tone now dark. "Illusion must think he’s the one that gets to call all the shots around here, while I get to be little old me and sit in my throne, waiting and biding time as I grow older and older. But before we even begin, we should become more acquainted, so who are you again?” “Master Seya, we don’t-” “Not to worry Illusion, we’ve got the wine for the party for Karma, I’m sure you invited Karma-Girl as well. Just grand.” said Seya, his jovial tone returning. He looked off to the side for a few moment, then looked at Evil once more. “Oh hi, I’m Seya, welcome to-” “You’ve said that twice already. We don’t need a third time,” interrupted Illusion, hastily. “Let them speak?” “Fine.” Evil paused, then spoke calmly. “...Ah, you are arranging a party? Then you require gifts, Great Seya, worthy of one such as Karma... consider me the bringer of gifts... or a single gift: a gift so great it would break the very fabric of space and time... you wish to awaken the Omega, am I not correct? Well... what better means to do so than with the aid of the Absolutes? The keepers of Sacred Law... without these Laws... the Multiverse crumbles...” Oblivion tenses slightly as Misery looked to Evil briefly, yet neither said anything. The Serpent paused, then asked simply: “You are aware of the Hidden Truths? Are you not?” “You mean those things that people speak of behind one another, whispering that the guy or girl nearby is holding-” Seya glanced left, then right, before whispering, “-a secret?” Illusion's cloaked body sagged, exasperated. “I give up.” “More akin to keys, Great Seya," said Evil, slithering over to the right of Seya's throne. "Keys to unlocking the most festive of parties... one that would be sure to win over your enemies." She curled her serpentine form up like a blasphemous cobra. "You see, I speak of the Abstract World... there is always more than meets the eye... the Hidden Truths are four ancient artifacts created to strengthen the Sacred Laws should Alpha's hold on the multiverse weaken... so it is really quite simple, isn't it? We must gather four groups of champions to use those Hidden Truths and shatter what is left of the Sacred Laws... once the multiverse is in chaos... you can arrange a party without the interference of so-called heroes..." “Party groups?" asked Seya. "Four party groups to to get the Hidden Truths? Can the party groups be filled with joy? And do these truths… Do they have the power to make the party even better?” Seya giggled, excited about this all the same. “Can these champions be anyone of our choosing? Or must they be certain people? Illusion, write down the invitations!” Illusion stood up, rolling his eyes at Seya’s rather simple speech, knowing full well that he was intent on doing whatever dark deed he desired in the cutest way possible. “Sharing is caring, Great Seya... you may pick those you favor while I shall suggest some I find useful,” Evil replied, hissing as her body gave off an aura of darkness. "I had hoped my daughter would provide her Corrupted Ones to aid. Unfortunately she seems to have misplaced them... luckily for her a mother can’t stay angry at her young forever... even if they turn out to be immensely incompetent...” Evil continued, glancing over to Misery. “Silence your tongue, Old One," growled Oblivion, "I’ve had enough of you. I know now why you called me here- you wish for me to act as a General, to lead these... champions,” he glanced to Misery, and his voice lowered. “Indeed, you’ve been planning this a long time... both of you...” “Settle down, my wayward ally," replied Evil, completely uncaring of Oblivion's threat. "You serve the Omega... a little jesting is good for the soul... it will not be you who leads them, simply four of your Dark Ones... now, Great Seya... while the four groups themselves can be of any rogue that cares to join us I do suggest we form a fifth... a group that shall stay close to us, aiding in the finer art of... party-throwing." “Yay! Wonderful, most glorious!” Seya clapped happily like a child on it's birthday, “My friendly friends, so friendly. But who... who shall we get to invite to the party... I already have some on my guest list, many dead people, oh yes…” Seya giggled. “And best of all, I get to throw the cake in Karma’s face, and Karma-Girl can watch!!” “Master Seya, Karma-Girl is Karma.” said Illusion. “No she is not- Karma-Girl and Karma are two completely different people. Make sure Karma-Girl comes, she must see this.” Seya turned towards Evil. “Who do you have in mind to invite to the party? And a fifth group… Shall they get special invites?” “In order for a party to be extra-special you have to ensure that proper entertainment is invited,” Evil replied. “I suggest you start with a fitting tribute for any apocalypse, the god of war himself, Ares... he is known as Warmonger these days and should be easy enough to track... just follow the path of destruction...” She glanced over to Oblivion with a deliberate, cruel smirk. “Next you should always allow for comedy, even amidst tragedy... Kane is a most unorthodox being yet with his “beloved” Nova can be quite the treat for any delightfully depraved decadence you may have planned,” continued Evil, stretching slightly as foul brimstone-scented smoke rose around her. “Finally you should seek out Almagest. He will provide an... interesting... contrast... even chaos requires a handler every now and then to keep it from devouring itself in the moment,” said Evil, a little begrudgingly, not much of a fan of restraint yet seeming to be in need of it nevertheless. “While you do this I must depart myself to bring a very special surprise I’m positive you’ll find to your liking.” She shedded her serpentine form and emerged as a cloaked woman in black with sickly pale skin, hollow eyes with points that burned like hot coals, and visibly rotting arms and legs. A tiny hourglass hung down her slender neck, attached to the rope of a hangman’s noose. “Most glorious!” Seya giggled. “Illusion, my bestest buddy and greatest asset ever in existence, go and nab the four Evil has just mentioned, we must invite them as special guests to the party!!” “Very well, Master Seya,” muttered Illusion, turning away, and vanishing into a strange vortex that seemed to emanate from beneath the hood of his cloak. “Yay! My life is almost complete, now we must invite Karma-Girl. Not to worry, I’m sure she wishes to watch Karma burn as much as I do, Evil. The assistance is greatly appreciated... oh yes. From you and… your friends…” Seya giggled at Misery and Oblivion. For a moment, his eyes shone gold, before blinking out of existence, obscuring his face in darkness once more. He looked over to the left, mulling over unknown thoughts, then turned back to his guests. “Well hi, my name is Seya and welcome to my realm. My friend Illusion is busy right now, but I’m sure I can handle whatever you require. As long as you help me find Karma-Girl.” Evil gave a nod to Seya, then replied “As I mentioned before, I have to depart now to retrieve a gift worthy of this event... Misery and Oblivion will be honored to stay here and discuss matters further with you-” “I am the Lord of the Dark Ones, not some puppet to be pushed around-!” Oblivion began, only to be silenced as Evil suddenly clenched a fist and swiftly punched the entity in the gut, causing the normally impervious being to fall to his knees and clutch his robe as if in pain. Misery at once flew to Oblivion’s side, kneeling beside him and protectively wrapping him in her cloak as she glared at Evil, the stare was intense enough that dangerous sparks flew from her yellow eyes and Evil stepped back, forming a dark portal behind herself. “A king amongst the Absolutes is but a child in my world,” growled Evil. "Remember that." Her gaze remained on Misery as mother and daughter locked in a silent struggle, their stares as intense as the fury boiling within their Primordial forms. Yet before any more could come from the encounter Evil broke the stare and bowed to Seya “...I shall return shortly with my surprise, Great Seya.” She glanced back at Misery a final time before vanishing into the portal, which closed behind her. “Surprise? I love surprises! Oh, buy me a present! See ya!” Seya waved absentmindedly at where the portal closed, then turned to look at Misery and Oblivion. “Oh hi! I’m Seya- wait… I think I’ve met you before somewhere… Never mind, Evil obviously likes you friendly friends, so let’s be friendly and help one another.” Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5